house, but we preferred making our sojourn at the Bay of Islands. We were
often at a loss how to evade the kind importunities of our savage hosts
without giving them offence. "Is not our country as good as
theirs?"--"Are you not as safe amongst us?"--"Are we not as willing and
as capable of protecting you as Shulitea?" These were the arguments they
used; and, finally, we were obliged to inform them that we had a friend
and countryman (Captain Duke) settled on the other side, who was
preparing a house for our reception. On being informed of this
circumstance they consented to part with us, though evidently with great
reluctance.

While we lay here the ship Harmony, of London, Captain Middleton, arrived
from Sydney for a cargo of spars. So large a vessel entering the port put
the whole district into commotion; and when the chiefs understood the
nature of her wants, and had seen the fine double-barrelled guns and
store of powder to be given as payment for the wished-for freight, they
hastened to the woods, and the axe was soon laid to the roots of the
trees. I saw them pursuing their laborious employ with alacrity. In a few
days a sufficient number of fine logs came floating down the river to
load the ship, and they were all cleared in a workmanlike manner, ready
to stow away. The chief things to induce these people to work are
firearms and powder; these are two stimulants to their industry which
never fail.




CHAPTER XXI.

DEATH OF A GREAT CHIEF.


A few days after our return to Hokianga we received intelligence that A
Rowa, the father of Mooetara, and the eldest chief in the district, was
dead. These deaths, when they occur among men of rank, are generally
accompanied by some horrible scenes of butchery among their slaves--a
common custom among all savages, but practised here (I was informed) with
peculiar cruelty. We went on shore to witness the ceremony of A Rowa's
lying in state, hoping at the same time that our presence might induce
them to dispense with some of those barbarous cruelties which generally
accompany their funeral rites. We had, indeed, every reason to think we
had conjectured rightly, for nothing of the kind took place; which was
considered by all as a circumstance somewhat remarkable. A great
concourse of savages had assembled all round the village of the deceased
chief, and there was a tremendous firing of muskets, but no particular
marks of grief. I spoke to Mooetara, and requested, as a favour, if it
were not breaking through their established rules, that he would conduct
me to the body of his father. He accordingly led me to the outside of the
village; and under a rude hut (constructed for the purpose) lay the body
of the deceased chief, closely covered up with mats, leaving only part of
the face and head exposed; in his hair was stuck a profusion of long
white feathers, by way of ornament. Two women (whom I understood were his
wives) sat close to the corpse; they were painted all over with red
ochre, and seemed to perform the parts of chief mourners. These kept up a
low moaning noise, and occasionally whisked off the flies from the face
of the deceased. The women, the corpse, the hut, and the ground for some
space round them, were all strictly tapued. Some bundles of fish, and
some calabashes filled with oil, were left close by the body, intended
for his consumption during his passage to the next world.

I imagine that one reason of no outrage having been committed during this
solemn occasion was our brig being on the point of sailing, and previous
to her departure a great deal of traffic was expected to be carried on
with the natives, for there was still a considerable quantity of muskets
undisposed of; and I think, in this instance, avarice overcame filial
affection--the minds of the chief's family being so intent upon obtaining
good bargains, that they had not time to sit and mourn over their
departed parent, nor to work themselves up into a paroxysm of passion
sufficiently violent to cause them to murder their slaves. This afforded
me a convincing proof that as soon as they are occupied by commerce, or
the useful arts, their barbarous rites will gradually be discontinued,
and will speedily cease altogether.

Our brig having sailed, we were again alone with these wild yet
interesting people. We expected our stay might be about six months, and
had provided a stock-in-trade, consisting of a barrel of powder, half a
dozen muskets, some fish-hooks, and a quantity of tobacco. Everything we
possessed we delivered into the hands of the natives, who accounted to
us for the stock thus entrusted to their management with the most
scrupulous exactness. Nothing can be fairer than their mode of bartering
with the Europeans; the prices are fixed; ten large hogs, or 120 baskets
of potatoes (about a ton and a-half), are given for a musket; for small
articles, such as fish, Indian corn, or fruits, the ready money are
fish-hooks and tobacco. As we were now about to become inhabitants of New
Zealand, it became necessary that we should be well acquainted with the
particulars of their methods of "doing business," and that we should
apply ourselves diligently to the study of the language, which we
acquired much more readily than I had anticipated.




CHAPTER XXII.

BRUTAL MURDER OF A WIFE.


A few days after the departure of the brig I witnessed a specimen of
their summary method of executing justice. A chief, resident in the
village, had proof of the infidelity of one of his wives; and, being
perfectly sure of her guilt, he took his patoo-patoo (or stone hatchet)
and proceeded to his hut, where this wretched woman was employed in
household affairs. Without mentioning the cause of his suspicion, or once
upbraiding her, he deliberately aimed a blow at her head, which killed
her on the spot; and, as she was a slave, he dragged the body to the
outside of the village, and there left it to be devoured by the dogs. The
account of this transaction was soon brought to us, and we proceeded to
the place to request permission to bury the body of the murdered woman,
which was immediately granted. Accordingly, we procured a couple of
slaves, who assisted us to carry the corpse down to the beach, where we
interred it in the most decent manner we could.

This was the second murder I was very nearly a witness to since my
arrival; and the indifference with which each had been spoken of induced
me to believe that such barbarities were events of frequent occurrence;
yet the manners of all seemed kind and gentle towards each other; but
infidelity in a wife is never forgiven here; and, in general, if the
lover can be taken, he also is sacrificed along with the adulteress.
Truth obliges me to confess that, notwithstanding these horrors staring
them in the face, they will, if opportunity offers, indulge in an
intrigue.




CHAPTER XXIII.

ANOTHER JOURNEY TO BAY OF ISLANDS.


As there were two roads across to the Bay of Islands, and I was anxious
to see as much of the country as possible, I determined that my second
journey should be by the longest route. I set off, accompanied only by a
native boy to carry a small portmanteau and to serve me as a guide. As,
on my former journey, we travelled many miles through thick tangled
forests, fatiguing beyond description. In the midst of our toilsome
progress, night frequently overtook us; then, by means of my
fowling-piece, I procured a light, the boy made a fire, and we passed the
night in this vast wilderness, far from the habitation of any human
being! At daybreak we resumed our journey, and at length (about ten
o'clock) we emerged from the wood, and entered upon extensive plains.
These were not naked deserts, similar to the ones I had passed through on
my former route, but were diversified with bush and brake, with a number
of small villages scattered in various directions. At mid-day we arrived
at what in New Zealand is considered a town of great size and importance,
called Ty-a-my. It is situated on the sides of a beautiful hill, the top
surmounted by a pa, in the midst of a lonely and extensive plain, covered
with plantations of Indian corn, Kumara and potatoes. This is the
principal inland settlement, and, in point of quiet beauty and
fertility, it equalled any place I had ever seen in the various countries
I have visited. Its situation brought forcibly to my remembrance the
scenery around Canterbury.

We found the village totally deserted, all the inhabitants being employed
in their various plantations; they shouted to us as we passed, thus
bidding us welcome, but did not leave their occupations to receive us. To
view the cultivated parts of this country from an eminence a person might
easily imagine himself in a civilised land; for miles around the village
of Ty-a-my nothing but beautiful green fields present themselves to the
eye. The exact rows in which they plant their Indian corn would do credit
to a first-rate English farmer, and the way in which they prepare the
soil is admirable. The greatest deficiency which I observed in the
country around me was the total absence of fences; and this defect
occasions the natives a great deal of trouble, which might very easily be
avoided. Hogs are the principal part of their wealth, with which, at all
times, they can traffic with vessels touching at their ports. These
animals, consequently, are of the utmost importance to them; but during
the growth of their crops, the constant watching the hogs require to keep
them out of the plantations consumes more time than would effectually
fence in their whole country; but I have no doubt, as they already begin
to follow our advice and adopt our plans, they will soon see the utility
of fencing in their land. I have at various times held many conversations
with different chiefs on this subject, all of whom have acknowledged the
propriety of so doing.

A few miles after leaving this beautiful village we came to a spot
covered with heaps of cinders and hillocks of volcanic matter. I found
all these hillocks small craters, but none of them, burning; and for
miles our road lay through ashes and lava. These fires must have been
extinguished many ages since, as there is not the slightest tradition
among any of the natives of their ever having been burning.

After passing over this lava, our journey lay through a very swampy
country, intersected with streams. I got completely wearied with
stripping to wade through them, so that at length I plunged in clothes
and all. At the close of a most fatiguing day's march, we arrived in
sight of the bay, having travelled over an extent of about fifty miles
since the morning! No canoe being in sight, and we being too distant to
make signals to our brig, we had to pass another night in bivouac on a
part of the beach called Waitangi; and as it did not rain we slept pretty
comfortably. The next morning I procured a canoe, and went on board our
vessel.

The day following the brig took her final departure from New Zealand, and
we bade farewell to Captain Kent. We now formally placed ourselves under
the protection of King George, who seemed highly pleased with his charge;
and in a few days three good houses were ready for our reception--one for
ourselves, a second for our stores, and a third for our servants. But our
pleasant prospects were soon obscured by a circumstance totally
unexpected, which placed us in a most critical situation, and which we
had every reason to fear would lead to our total destruction.




CHAPTER XXIV.

VISIT OF A WAR PARTY.


I was roused one morning at daybreak by my servant running in with the
intelligence that a great number of war canoes were crossing the bay. As
King George had told us but the evening before that he expected a visit
from Ta-ri-ah, a chief of the tribe called Ngapuhis, whose territory lay
on the opposite side of the bay, and given us to understand that Ta-ri-ah
was a man not to be trusted, and therefore feared some mischief might
happen if he really came, the sight of these war canoes naturally caused
us considerable alarm, and we sincerely wished that the visit was over.

We dressed ourselves with the utmost expedition, and walked down to the
beach. The landing of these warriors was conducted with a considerable
degree of order, and could I have divested myself of all ideas of danger
I should have admired the sight excessively. All our New Zealand
friends--the tribe of Shulitea--were stripped naked, their bodies were
oiled, and all were completely armed; their muskets were loaded, their
cartouch boxes were fastened round their waists, and their patoo-patoos
were fixed to their wrists. Their hair was tied up in a tight knot at the
top of their heads, beautifully ornamented with feathers of the
albatross. As the opposite party landed, ours all crouched on the ground,
their eyes fixed on their visitors, and perfectly silent. When the
debarkation was completed I observed the chief, Ta-ri-ah, put himself at
their head, and march towards us with his party formed closely and
compactly, and armed with muskets and paddles. When they came very near
they suddenly stopped. Our party continued still mute, with their
firelocks poised ready for use. For the space of a few minutes all was
still, each party glaring fiercely on the other; and they certainly
formed one of the most beautiful and extraordinary pictures I had ever
beheld. The foreground was formed by a line of naked savages, each
resting on one knee, with musket advanced, their gaze fixed on the
opposite party, their fine, broad, muscular backs contrasting with the
dark foliage in front, and catching the gleam of the rising sun. The
strangers were clothed in the most grotesque manner imaginable--some
armed, some naked, some with long beards, others were painted all over
with red ochre; every part of each figure was quite still, except the
rolling and glaring of their eyes on their opponents. The background was
formed by the beach, and a number of their beautiful war canoes dancing
on the waves; while, in the distance, the mountains on the opposite side
of the bay were just tinged with the varied and beautiful colours of the
sun, then rising in splendour from behind them.

The stillness of this extraordinary scene did not last long. The Ngapuhis
commenced a noisy and discordant song and dance, yelling, jumping, and
making the most hideous faces. This was soon answered by a loud shout
from our party, who endeavoured to outdo the Ngapuhis in making horrible
distortions of their countenances; then succeeded another dance from our
visitors, after which our friends made a rush, and in a sort of rough
joke set them running. Then all joined in a pell-mell sort of encounter,
in which numerous hard blows were given and received; then all the party
fired their pieces in the air, and the ceremony of landing was thus
deemed completed. They then approached each other, and began rubbing
noses; and those who were particular friends cried and lamented over each
other.

The slaves now commenced the labour of making fires to cook the morning
meal, while the chiefs, squatting down, formed a ring, or, rather, an
oblong circle, on the ground; then one at a time rose up, and made long
speeches, which they did in a manner peculiar to themselves. The speaker,
during his harangue, keeps running backwards and forwards within the
oblong space, using the most violent but appropriate gesticulation; so
expressive, indeed, of the subject on which he is speaking, that a
spectator who does not understand their language can form a tolerable
idea as to what the affair is then under debate. The orator is never
interrupted in his speech; but, when he finishes and sits down, another
immediately rises up and takes his place, so that all who choose have an
opportunity of delivering their sentiments, after which the assembly
breaks up.

Though the meeting of these hostile tribes had thus ended more amicably
than King George and his party could have expected, it was easily to be
perceived that the Ngapuhis were determined on executing some atrocity or
depredations before their return; they accordingly pretended to recollect
some old offence committed by the English settlers at the other end of
the beach. They proceeded thither, and first attacked and broke open the
house of a blacksmith, and carried off every article it contained. They
then marched to the residence of an English captain (who was in England),
and plundered it of everything that could be taken away, and afterwards
sent word they intended to return to our end of the beach. Our fears were
greatly increased by finding that our friends were not sufficiently
strong to protect us from the superior force of the Ngapuhis, and our
chief, George, being himself (we supposed) conscious of his inability,
had left us to depend upon our own resources.




CHAPTER XXV.

BURNED OUT OF HOUSE AND HOME.


We now called a council of war of all the Europeans settled here; and it
was unanimously resolved that we should protect and defend our houses and
property, and fortify our position in the best way we could. Captain Duke
had in his possession four twelve-pounders, and these we brought in front
of the enclosure in which our huts were situated, and were all entirely
employed in loading them with round and grape shot, and had made them all
ready for action, when, to our consternation and dismay, we found we had
a new and totally unexpected enemy to contend with. By some accident one
of our houses was in flames. Our situation was now perilous in the
extreme. The buildings, the work of English carpenters, were constructed
of dry rushes and well-seasoned wood, and this was one of a very
respectable size, and we had hoped, in a very few days, would be finished
fit for our removing into.

For some seconds we stood in mute amazement, not knowing to which point
to direct our energies. As the cry of "fire" was raised, groups of
natives came rushing from all directions upon our devoted settlement,
stripping off their clothes, and yelling in the most discordant pitch of
voice. I entered the house, and brought out one of my trunks, but on
attempting to return a second time I found it filled with naked savages,
tearing everything to pieces, and carrying away whatever they could lay
their hands upon. The fierce raging of the flames, the heat from the
fire, the yells of the men, and the shrill cries of the women, formed,
altogether, a horrible combination; added to all this was the
mortification of seeing all our property carried off in different
directions, without the least possibility of our preventing it. The tribe
of the Ngapuhis (who, when the fire began, were at the other end of the
beach) left their operations in that quarter and poured down upon us to
share in the general plunder. Never shall I forget the countenance of the
chief, as he rushed forward at the head of his destroying crew! He was
called "The Giant," and he was well worthy of the name, being the tallest
and largest man I had ever seen; he had an immense bushy black beard, and
grinned exultingly when he saw the work of destruction proceeding with
such rapidity, and kept shouting loudly to his party to excite them to
carry off all they could.

A cask containing seventy gallons of rum now caught fire and blew up with
a terrible explosion; and, the wind freshening considerably, huge volumes
of smoke and flame burst out in every direction. Two of our houses were
so completely enveloped that we had given up all hopes of saving them.
The third, which was a beautifully carved tapued one, some little
distance from the others, and which we had converted into a store and
magazine, was now the only object of our solicitude and terror. For,
besides the valuable property of various kinds which were deposited
within it, it contained several barrels of gunpowder! It was in vain we
attempted to warn the frantic natives to retire from the vicinity of this
danger. At length we persuaded about a dozen of the most rational to
listen while we explained to them the cause of our alarm; and they
immediately ascended to the roof, where, with the utmost intrepidity and
coolness, they kept pouring water over the thatch, thus lessening the
probability of an immediate explosion. About this time we noticed the
reappearance of King George, which circumstance rekindled our hopes. He
was armed with a thick stick, which he laid heavily on the backs of such
of his subjects as were running away with our property, thus forcing them
to relinquish their prizes, and to lay them down before his own mansion,
where all was safe. By this means a great deal was recollected. The fire
was now nearly extinguished; but our two really tolerably good houses
were reduced to a heap of smoking ruins, and the greater part of what
belonged to us was taken away by the Ngapuhis.

This calamity had made us acquainted with another of their barbarous
customs, which is, whenever a misfortune happens to a community, or an
individual, every person, even the friends of his own tribe, fall upon
and strip him of all he has remaining. As an unfortunate fish, when
struck by a harpoon, is instantly surrounded and devoured by his
companions, so in New Zealand, when a chief is killed, his former friends
plunder his widow and children; and they, in revenge, ill-use and even
murder their slaves--thus one misfortune gives birth to various
cruelties. During the fire, our allies proved themselves the most adroit
and active thieves imaginable, though previously to that event we had
never lost an article, although everything we possessed was open to them.

When we questioned them about our property, they frankly told us where it
was; and, after some difficulty in settling the amount of its ransom, we
got most of our things back again, with the exception of such as had been
carried off by the Ngapuhis.

Upon the cruelty of this custom I shall make no comments. Probably I
should have remained in ignorance of this savage law, had I not had the
misfortune to become its victim.

By redeeming from the natives what they had purloined from the fire, we
had restored to us some of our boxes, desks, and clothes; but all our
little comforts towards housekeeping were irretrievably lost. When the
fire was over we received a visit from one of the missionaries, who made
us a cold offer of assistance. We accepted a little tea, sugar and some
few articles of crockery from them; but, although they knew we stood
there houseless, amongst a horde of savages, they never offered us the
shelter of their roofs. I am very sure that had the calamity befallen
them, we should immediately have offered our huts, and shared with them
everything we possessed. Here was an opportunity of practically showing
the "pagans" (as they termed the New Zealanders) the great Christian
doctrine of "doing to others as we would they should do unto us." I must
acknowledge I was sometimes mortified at being obliged to sleep (three of
us huddled up close together) in a small New Zealand hut, filled with
filth and vermin of all kinds, while at only two miles' distance from us
stood a neat village, abounding in every comfort that a bountiful British
public could provide; and we, members of that community, and, indeed,
partly contributors to the funds for its support.

The high state of excitement into which the savages had been thrown by
the late conflagration gradually subsided, and as we had escaped the
dreaded calamity of our magazine blowing up, we began to look with
calmness on our desolate condition, and draw comfort from thinking how
much worse we might have been circumstanced than we then were. I hope our
distress may prove a benefit to future sojourners in this country, by
showing them the great importance of forming a proper magazine for
powder. The agonies I suffered in contemplating the destruction which six
barrels of powder, each of an hundredweight, would cause amongst a mob of
several hundred naked savages, it is impossible to imagine!

King George, as well as all his people, were most anxious to build us a
new habitation entirely themselves. They requested us to give them the
dimensions of the various dwellings, and said we should have no further
trouble about them. A party accordingly proceeded to the bush to collect
materials. They first formed the skeleton of a cottage containing three
rooms, with slight sticks, firmly tied together with strips of flax.
While this was in progress, another party was collecting rushes (which
grow plentifully in the neighbourhood, called Ra-poo). These they spread
in the sun for twenty-four hours, when they considered them sufficiently
dry. They then thatched every part of the house, which for neatness and
strength was equal to anything I had ever seen. The doors and windows we
employed our carpenter to make, these being luxuries quite beyond the
comprehension of the natives. We were thus tolerably well lodged again;
and our time passed on tranquilly, almost every day developing some fresh
trait of character amongst these children of nature.




CHAPTER XXVI.

A HOSTILE DEMONSTRATION.


I went to reside for a short time at a village about half a mile distant,
where there was a pretty good house vacant. It was called Ma-to-we, and
belonged to a chief named Atoi, a relation of George's, but a much
younger man. His power was not so great, and he was every way subject to
the authority of the tribe under whose protection I had placed myself.
One morning, at daybreak, we were roused by the hasty approach of King
George and all his warriors towards Ma-to-we. All were fully equipped for
war, and each countenance looked fierce and wild. Our late misfortunes
having rendered us more than usually anxious, this hostile appearance
gave us considerable alarm. We left our house to inquire the reason
thereof, and saw George and his followers enter the village, pull down
several fences, fire a few muskets in the air, dance a most hideous dance
of defiance, and then depart; but not one word of explanation could we
obtain from him. In the course of the morning, however, the women
acquainted us with the cause of this mysterious proceeding, which
determined me to remove my things back again to George's village of
Kororarika as soon as possible.

The affair was simply this: Atoi had two wives. During the time of our
visit to his village, he was absent, and had entrusted these women to the
care of his brother; but he, instead of being faithful to the trust
reposed in him, had actually seduced one of them. This circumstance came
to the knowledge of George, and he, feeling for the honour of his absent
friend, immediately proceeded to the village, and thus gave the parties
warning that he was fully aware of the nature of their proceedings. He
had also dispatched a messenger to Atoi, to inform him of his disgrace,
and to request his immediate return. In the course of the day it was
expected he would arrive, and bring with him a strong party of friends,
all burning with revenge, and eager to punish his brother for his
unnatural perfidy. It was thought that unless George interfered, much
bloodshed might ensue; and it may readily be imagined how anxious we were
that this dreaded meeting should be over; yet I (for one) had determined
that I would be a witness of it. Therefore, when word was brought to me
that Atoi was crossing the bay, I hastened down to the beach. There I
found all parties assembled from both villages. George and his followers,
who were to act as mediators, sat immediately in front of the place of
landing; behind them were Atoi's brother and all his partizans; and in
the rear were all the women and children, with about a dozen white faces
scattered amongst them. The scene was picturesque and exceedingly
interesting. It was near the close of a lovely summer's day--the sun,
fast sinking towards the horizon, threw a warm and mellow glow over the
wide expanse of the far-spreading bay, whose smooth waters were only
disturbed by the approaching canoe cutting its foamy way. It was crowded
with naked warriors, urging their rapid course towards the shore; and we
heard the loud and furious song of the chief, animating his friends to
exertion; we saw his frantic gestures, as he stood in the centre of his
canoe, brandishing his weapons. As they came near the place of landing,
George ran into the stream, and as the canoe touched the shore, attacked
Atoi, but in a playful manner, splashing water over him. Thus irritated,
Atoi jumped on land, and, with a double-barrelled musket in his hand, ran
towards his brother, and doubtless would have killed him on the spot, had
he not been prevented. I now saw the advantage of George and his party
being present. He and three of his subjects seized upon Atoi, and tried
to wrest the weapon from his hands, which if they had been able to
effect, a mortal combat could not take place, such being the custom here.
Atoi was a very powerful man of about thirty, and those who attacked him
had a most difficult task; twice he broke from them; and I then watched
the countenance of his brother, which was perfectly cool and collected,
though the firelock was in readiness, and the finger on the trigger,
which might despatch him instantly. All parties sat perfectly quiet
during the desperate struggle; one of the barrels of Atoi's piece went
off, and the contents flew amongst us, without, however, doing any
material injury; and, finally, the musket was wrested out of his hands.
He then sat still for about twenty minutes, to recover his breath, when
he seized a club and rushed upon his brother (for mortal weapons were now
prohibited). The brother started up, armed in the same manner; some heavy
blows passed between them; when, having thrown aside their clubs, they
grappled each other firmly, and a dreadful struggle ensued. As they were
both completely naked, their hair was the only thing to take hold by; but
being long, thick, and strong, it afforded a firm grasp, and they
committed desperate havoc on each other's persons. At this period of the
fight their poor old mother, who was quite blind, came forward to try and
separate the combatants; the sister and younger brothers now followed her
example; and, finally, the fair and frail cause of all this commotion.

The brothers, having completely exhausted their strength, were easily
separated; and as their friends had carefully removed all weapons out of
their reach, they of course were deprived of the means of injuring each
other. The members of Atoi's family, together with a few friends, now sat
down in a circle, to converse and consult on the affair. Atoi's wife
totally denied the charge, and protested her innocence, and many
circumstances were brought forward to corroborate her statements. The
husband at length was satisfied, and all parties were reconciled.




CHAPTER XXVII.

THE LAW OF RETALIATION.


This affair was scarcely terminated, when we found that another of a
still more serious nature was likely to arise from it and would threaten
the peace of both villages. When King George sent his messenger to inform
Atoi of the infidelity of his wife, the infuriated husband assaulted the
man, and it was rumoured that he had killed him. This was an offence not
to be forgiven, and George was so exasperated by it that he vowed he
would exterminate the whole of Atoi's tribe. A native, however, arrived
with the intelligence that the man was not dead, but only wounded. This
did not seem to allay George's feelings of resentment, and he instantly
made great preparations for war. When our anxiety was wound up to the
utmost, we were greatly astonished to see Atoi and all his friends
approach our settlement, totally unarmed. George went out to meet them,
looking so full of rage that I thought Atoi stood but a slight chance for
his life. After a great deal of violent pantomimic action and grimace,
the apology offered by Atoi was accepted, and the visit was concluded by
a grand war-dance and sham fight performed in their best manner. King
George, in the fulness of his heart at this complete restoration of
friendship, gave a great feast of kumaras and fish, to which we added
some tobacco; and the whole of the party seated themselves by each other
with the utmost sociality--a convincing proof that animosity is not long
an inmate of their breasts.

I took every opportunity of inquiring into the nature of their laws and
mode of government, and I found that, in general, their method of
redressing wrongs was very summary, and that their ideas of what was
strictly just were, for the most part, simple and equitable. For any
theft, or offence of that sort, committed by one tribe on another, the
parties are called to instant account. If one native takes from another
any part of his possessions, the party injured has a right to retaliate,
and the party retaliated upon must not make the slightest resistance. We
ourselves experienced a proof of this. Some part of our property, which
we supposed had been destroyed by our late fire, we had been told was to
be found in the hut of a neighbouring chief. We one day took advantage of
his absence, searched the hut ourselves, and discovered our things
carefully deposited therein. Thus assured of the fact, we laid our
complaint before King George, who, after hearing our story to the end,
replied, "Well, my friends, you must go to the hut and take away all your
property, and whatever else you may find, which you may think sufficient
payment for the injury you have received." We accordingly proceeded to
the chief's dwelling, whom we found standing at his door. We charged him
with having robbed us, and entered the house to seize our property. He
held down his head, and seemed ashamed and overpowered at this discovery.
He did not attempt to vindicate his conduct, but quietly allowed us not
only to take away all that had belonged to us, but likewise a musket and
double-barrelled gun, which he concluded he had lost for ever. These we
had only taken away temporarily to deter him from theft in future, for a
few days after we brought them back to him, to his infinite delight and
astonishment.

I was frequently shocked during my residence in this country by the
number of accidents which continually happened to the natives from
gunpowder, and not even the saddest experience could render them more
careful. We were doubtful of the strength of a French fowling-piece we
had, so we loaded it to the muzzle and discharged it, in order to prove
it. Some young chiefs, who saw us do this (approving of this method), as
soon as they returned home loaded a musket in the same manner, and then
discharged it; but not managing the affair as we did--by means of a
string fastened to the trigger--the piece burst, and mangled two of them
dreadfully, and we got greatly blamed for showing them what was
considered so bad an example.

A few months since a native came from the interior driving a quantity of
pigs to barter for powder; he obtained several pounds' weight, and set
off to return home. On his journey he passed the night in a hut, and for
safety put the bag of powder under his head as a pillow; and as a New
Zealander always sleeps with a fire close to him, the consequence was, in
the course of the night the fire communicated to the powder, and
destroyed the man and the whole of his family, who were journeying with
him.




CHAPTER XXVIII.

A WAR EXPEDITION AND A CANNIBAL FEAST.


Last year a chief, and cousin of King George, named Pomare, was defeated
and killed by the people of the Thames, and George was now resolved to
revenge his death. This determination having become known, we had a
constant succession of visitors, and a considerable number of blows,
scratches, and rubbing noses were the consequence. Our beach presented a
most interesting and busy scene. A dozen superb war canoes were lying
ready to convey the forces; and, considering their limited means, the
solidity of their structure and the carved work on them are surprising.
None but men of rank are allowed to work upon them, and they labour like
slaves. Some canoes were to be lengthened; others patched; others were
condemned to be broken up, and the fragments taken to complete the new
ones. Every morning we were awakened by the sound of the hammer and saw,
and they were much gratified by our walking down to their dockyard to
observe the progress they made, and by giving our opinions of their work.
They thankfully received any hint we gave them as to better methods of
completing or proceeding with their operations. Here were carvers,
painters, caulkers, and sailmakers, all working in their different
departments with great good humour and industry. Some of their vessels
were eighty feet long, and were entirely covered with beautiful
carving. Their form was light and delicate, and if their intentions were
hostile towards us, they would be very formidable alongside any merchant
man. If our Government should determine to colonise any part of New
Zealand, they would find the natives hardy and willing assistants, and
very different from the natives of New South Wales.

[Illustration: Maori War Expedition (With Mission boat accompanying
it.)]

As their canoes were ready for launching, they ran them off the beach,
jumped into them, and scudded across the bay with an almost incredible
swiftness. When it is considered that in each canoe were seated eighty
stout young men, each with a large paddle in his hand propelling the
vessel forward, the velocity with which she flew may be imagined! It was
in the midst of scenes like these that we were passing our time, and I
had just become delighted with the appearance of innocence and industry
so continually displayed by these people, when I was called upon to
witness a sight which exhibited their character in its worst light, and
confirmed all my horrible suspicions regarding their alleged cannibalism.

The New Zealanders have been long charged with cannibalism; but as no
person of importance or celebrity had actually been a witness to the
disgusting act, in pity to our nature such relations have been
universally rejected, and much has been written to prove the
non-existence of so hideous a propensity. It was my lot to behold it in
all its horrors!

One morning, about eleven o'clock, after I had just returned from a long
walk, Captain Duke informed me he had heard, from very good authority
(though the natives wished it to be kept a profound secret), that in the
adjoining village a female slave, named Matowe, had been put to death,
and that the people were at that very time preparing her flesh for
cooking. At the same time he reminded me of a circumstance which had
taken place the evening before. Atoi had been paying us a visit, and,
when going away, he recognised a girl whom he said was a slave that had
run away from him; he immediately seized hold of her, and gave her in
charge to some of his people. The girl had been employed in carrying wood
for us; Atoi's laying claim to her had caused us no alarm for her life,
and we had thought no more on the subject; but now, to my surprise and
horror, I heard this poor girl was the victim they were preparing for the
oven! Captain Duke and myself were resolved to witness this dreadful
scene. We therefore kept our information as secret as possible, well
knowing that if we had manifested our wishes they would have denied the
whole affair. We set out, taking a circuitous route towards the village,
and, being well acquainted with the road, we came upon them suddenly, and
found them in the midst of their abominable ceremonies.

On a spot of rising ground, just outside the village, we saw a man
preparing a native oven, which is done in the following simple manner:--A
hole is made in the ground, and hot stones are put within it, and then
all is covered up close. As we approached, we saw evident signs of the
murder which had been perpetrated; bloody mats were strewed around, and a
boy was standing by them actually laughing: he put his finger to his
head, and then pointed towards a bush. I approached the bush, and there
discovered a human head. My feelings of horror may be imagined as I
recognised the features of the unfortunate girl I had seen forced from
our village the preceding evening!

We ran towards the fire, and there stood a man occupied in a way few
would wish to see. He was preparing the four-quarters of a human body for
a feast; the large bones, having been taken out, were thrown aside, and
the flesh being compressed, he was in the act of forcing it into the
oven. While we stood transfixed by this terrible sight, a large dog,
which lay before the fire, rose up, seized the bloody head, and walked
off with it into the bushes, no doubt to hide it there for another meal!
The man completed his task with the most perfect composure, telling us,
at the same time, that the repast would not be ready for some hours!

Here stood Captain Duke and myself, both witnesses of a scene which many
travellers have related, and their relations have invariably been treated
with contempt; indeed, the veracity of those who had the temerity to
relate such incredible events has been everywhere questioned. In this
instance it was no warrior's flesh to be eaten; there was no enemy's
blood to drink, in order to infuriate them. They had no revenge to
gratify; no plea could they make of their passions having been roused by
battle, nor the excuse that they eat their enemies to perfect their
triumph. This was an action of unjustifiable cannibalism. Atoi, the
chief, who had given orders for this cruel feast, had only the night
before sold us four pigs for a few pounds of powder; so he had not even
the excuse of want of food. After Captain Duke and myself had consulted
with each other, we walked into the village, determining to charge Atoi
with his brutality.

Atoi received us in his usual manner; and his handsome, open countenance
could not be imagined to belong to so savage a monster as he had proved
himself to be. I shuddered at beholding the unusual quantity of potatoes
his slaves were preparing to eat with this infernal banquet. We talked